Applying for 2025 Grants

Research grant funding is available through the Diplomate Research Grant Program and the Surgery Resident Research Grant Program, which is only available to surgery residents in the first two years at an ACVS registered residency training program. Applications are submitted online and reviewed by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) Research Committee using a detailed set of review criteria. The Research Committee compiles an evaluative ranking of the applications and recommends the top research proposals to the ACVS Board of Regents (BOR). Recommendations approved by the BOR are then forwarded to the ACVS Foundation for disbursement of funds.

To be considered for funding for 2025, applications must be received through the ACVS online submission system by January 15, 2025, at 11:59 pm (Eastern Time). Any other electronic format or paper copy of the application will not be accepted.

• Only one application will be considered from each principal investigator per funding cycle.
• Similar or identical grant applications cannot be submitted to more than one ACVS Foundation research grant program in the same year.
• Instructions and tips for submitting your ACVS Foundation research grant application online should be thoroughly reviewed prior to applying for a research grant.

Surgery Resident Research Grant Program

• Funding up to $20,000 per grant is available.
• Grants are only available to surgery residents in the first two years at an ACVS registered residency training program, with the expectation that the project will be completed by the end of residency.
• The resident must substantially participate in developing and writing the application.
• The resident must submit the application in their name as the principal investigator and include required details for the Diplomate supervisor and any co-investigator.
• Grantees are required to submit an annual progress report.

Diplomate Research Grant Program

Diplomate Research Grants are designed to fund projects that address a surgical problem using novel theoretical concepts, methodologies, instrumentation, or intervention. Funding up to $20,000 per grant is available.

• Only ACVS Diplomates are eligible to apply as principal investigators.
• Grantees are required to submit an annual progress report.

Progress Reports

The ACVS Foundation requires grantees to submit an ACVS Foundation Sponsored Research Annual Progress Report each year until the Research Committee notifies the grantee that no further reports are required. Submit completed reports as an attachment to Tracey Delaney, staff liaison to the Research Committee (tdelaney@acvs.org). Information to report includes accomplishments of the project, manuscripts and publications, and actual or planned challenges.

• Failure to submit the progress report on time or grants with inadequate progress will make the principal investigator or, in the case of Surgery Resident Research Grants, the Diplomate supervisor and the surgery resident ineligible for ACVS Foundation grants for a period of five years.
• If the Research Committee chair deems a progress report to be unacceptable or three years have lapsed without the project reaching completion, the Research Committee will review the progress report and vote to impose a five-year ban from funding.

Completing a Research Study

Each research project will be given a year for completion and all data and material resulting from the study shall be submitted to the ACVS Research Committee for review, as appropriate. Within one year of completion of the project, a manuscript is to be submitted to a refereed journal, such as Veterinary Surgery. The investigators are strongly encouraged to give Veterinary Surgery first consideration for publication and presentation of material resulting from the research project. The grantee should submit a letter of acceptance of the publication to the chair of the Research Committee, c/o Tracey Delaney (tdelaney@acvs.org), within 60 days of final acceptance for publication.

The Research Committee asks that investigators acknowledge the ACVS Foundation Diplomate Research Grant or the ACVS Foundation Surgery Resident Research Grant on any work, presentation, or publication that incorporates research obtained from the funded research project. It is important that the acknowledgment include the complete name of the grant, i.e., Research funding by the ACVS Foundation Surgery Resident Research Grant or Research funding by the ACVS Foundation Diplomate Research Grant.

No-Cost Extensions for Projects Exceeding the One-Year Completion Date

If extenuating circumstances cause a delay in completing the research project so that it cannot be completed within one year, the principal investigator may submit a request for a no-cost extension by submitting a letter (prepared on official letterhead) to the chair of the Research Committee, c/o Tracey Delaney (tdelaney@acvs.org).

Example of a request for a no-cost extension